Well known Cairns and Atherton Tablelands driver Rob Del Manso had just pulled up in a refrigerated Hino to make deliveries at a strawberry farm when Big Rigs chatted with him recently.
A truckie for the past 15 years, Rob works for Simon George out of Cairns and loves the people he meets and the wonderful scenery. “I deliver all around the Atherton Tablelands,” he said.
The strawberry farm is located between Yungaburra and Atherton and attracts hundreds of tourists daily.
Rob gets along some notorious roads on his travels including the Kuranda range section of the Kennedy Highway, the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Mossman, and the Gillies.
Each is undergoing extensive roadworks after being damaged severely during a tropical cyclone.
I asked Rob which was the worst to drive along and he swiftly nominated the Kuranda Range. “It is closed at night for work,” he added.
An avid Brisbane Broncos supporter in the NRL, Rob hopes they improve in 2025 and qualify for the finals series. “They have signed a good player in Ben Hunt,” he said.